“It was my great-grandmother’s classic picnic cake — you know the kind you pack up in a basket to enjoy after you have had the fried chicken and potato salad?”

Now a personal chef and owner of Cream Valley Farm Catering & Cakes in East Coventry, Marchus shares her family recipe for Valentine’s Day.

“I think something that’s been kissed with your hands is the best gift,” she said.

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Her great-grandmother, “a little Irish woman who grew up in the plains of North Dakota, a real pioneer woman,” didn’t need a recipe and “didn’t even measure.”

“It’s just such a sweet little cake to make, and it’s so approachable for everyone,” Marchus described. “Every time I make that cake, I think of my Great-Grandma Daly.

She calls the cake “wonderful, easy, quick and luscious” although the batter is egg- and dairy-free.

“I believe this recipe may have originated during The Great Depression when fresh dairy was just not available… This cake comes together quickly with ingredients most of us have in our pantry,” said Marchus, who uses Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. “You won’t believe how rich and moist it is.”

It’s also easily adaptable.

“This cake is perfect by itself, but I spiffed it up and made the buttercream with orange zest,” she explained. “It is also outrageous with coffee icing. Just add a bit (to taste) of diluted concentrated instant coffee to basic buttercream.”

“This cake can go many directions, but the recipe I present is my very favorite,” added Marchus. “I can just see my Granny Daly smiling.”

Chef and caterer Joanie White of Union Jack’s Inn on the Manatawny also treasures a family recipe that evokes smiles – Valentine’s Treat French Toast.

“That one makes me smile because I’ve made it for my kids their whole lives,” she said. “They expect it.”

Also a cooking instructor, White teaches “date night” classes for couples at Cooking Spotlight in Phoenixville.

“I think it brings people closer together. Even when you burn something, you can share a laugh,” she said. “I try to keep things simple to give people confidence.”

For a simple Valentine’s Day indulgence, White suggests her Chocolate Stout Float, “a dessert for grown-ups,” which she serves during the Inn’s Stout Fest.

“Nobody ever thinks to put ice cream and stout together like a root beer float, but it really works,” White said.

“As a chef, I love Valentine’s Day because you get to do more over-the-top things than the rest of the year. It’s just a fun day.”

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour an 8-inch square pan. In a medium bowl, sift together the following:

1½ cups white flour

1 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder (you may add more if you like)

optional: 1 tablespoon of powdered coffee or espresso powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix these until well combined. Into another bowl or large measuring cup put:

1 cup cold water

1½ teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup light vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix very well by hand or with a whisk. Pour into pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes.

Frost with Orange Buttercream : ¼ pound of soft butter mixed with 1 pound of confectioners’ sugar, some vanilla, 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest and enough milk or cream to make soft enough to spread, as you like.

Recipe courtesy of Kristyn Marchus

Valentine’s Treat French Toast

4 slices thick bread- such as an Italian loaf or Texas toast

3 eggs

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

pinch nutmeg

pinch sea salt

1/4 cup organic milk or almond milk

chocolate chips

powdered sugar

butter for pan

Cut bread into heart shapes with knife or cookie cutter. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, salt, milk and a pinch of the powdered sugar in large bowl. Melt butter in pan on medium heat. Soak bread hearts in egg mixture and add to pan. While the first side is cooking, push chocolate chips into top pretty deeply. If bread is really firm use a straw to poke a whole first then add chips. Flip French toast and cook on other side. Plate with chip side up, and dust with more powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream or maple syrup - optional. Serves four.

Recipe courtesy of Joanie White

Chocolate Stout Float

vanilla ice cream

2 bottles of a good stout-style beer, chocolate stout if you can get it

1 jar hot fudge sauce- homemade or store bought

whipped cream

optional toppings - cherries, chopped walnuts

In a heavy saucepan, warm the fudge sauce over low heat. Whisk in 1/2 bottle of stout beer. Cook on low heat until thickened. Keep warm. Spoon a little of the fudge sauce into a tall glass and top with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. Repeat with fudge sauce. Pour in some of the bottled beer. Top with whipped cream and toppings of choice - or more fudge sauce! Serves four.